Chapter IV: Theories and models of Nursing Practice
Lecture Outlines:
1. Definitions of theory, concept , model , proposition
2. Basic concepts related to nursing theories ( person, health,
environment, and nursing )
3. Characteristics of theories.
4. Needs of theories
5. History and evolution of nursing theory.
6. Types of theory
7. Relationship of theory to practice and research.
8. Relationship of theory to nursing process.
Learning Objectives :
At the end of this chapter , the student should be able to:
1. Definitions of theory, concept, model, proposition.
2. Explain the relationships of concepts and propositions to theory.
3. Discuss the purpose of theory.
4. Explain the interdependent roles of nursing practice, nursing theory,
and nursing research.
5. Identify the three categories relating to the scope of theories.
6. Describe the meta-paradigm concepts in nursing.
7. History and evolution of nursing theory.
8. Identify common concept in nursing theories.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
1
Theories and models of nursing practice
Introduction
Nursing theory provides a perspective from which to define the what of
nursing, to describe the who of nursing (who is the client) and when nursing
is needed, and to identify the boundaries and goals of nursing’s therapeutic
activities. Theory is fundamental to effective nursing practice and research.
The professionalization of nursing has been and is being brought about
through the development and use of nursing theory.
Definition of Terms
Concept
A concept is the basic building block of a theory. A concept is a vehicle of
thought. According to Chinn and Kramer (1999), concepts are complex
mental formulations of one’s perceptions of the world.
Concept
Are complex mental formulations of one’s perceptions of the world. A
concept assists us in formulating a mental image about an object or situation.
Concepts help us to name things and occurrences in the world around us and
assist us in communicating with each other about the world.
Phenomenon
Phenomenon is an observable fact that can be perceived through the senses
and explained.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
2
Conceptual framework
Is a structure that links global concepts together and represents the unified
whole of a larger reality. The specifics about phenomena within the global
whole are better explained by theory.
Conceptual model
The term conceptual model is often used interchangeably with conceptual
framework, and sometimes with grand theories, those that articulate a broad
range of the significant relationships among the concepts of a discipline.
Proposition
A proposition (another structural element of a theory) is a statement that
proposes a relationship between concepts.
1. A non-nursing proposition might be the statement ‘‘people seem to be
happier in the springtime.’’ This proposition establishes a relationship
between the concept of happiness and the time of the year.
2. A nursing propositional statement linking the concept of helplessness and
the concept of loss might be stated as ‘‘multiple and rapid losses
predispose one to feelings of helplessness.’’ Propositional statements in a
theory represent the theorist’s particular view of which concepts fit
together and, in most theories, establish how concepts affect one another.
Theory
Theory may by define as a hypothesis or system of ideas that is proposed to
explain a given phenomenon or idea. A theory can often be considered as a
major, very well-articulated idea about something important to a particular
individual or group.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
3
Theory
It is a set of concepts and propositions that provide an orderly way to view
phenomena. In the scientific literature, theory may be defined in many
different ways, with subtle nuances specific to the particular author’s
viewpoint.
Importance of Nursing Theories
1. In the early part of nursing’s history, knowledge was extremely limited
and almost entirely task oriented.
2. The integration of theory into practice is the basis for professional
nursing.
3. The literature about the relationship between theory and nursing care
yields many interpretations in terms of the role each component plays in
the health care environment.
4. Theories are mental powers or constructs created to help understand and
find meaning from experience, organize and articulate our knowing, and
ask questions leading to new insights.
5. Nursing theories provide a framework for thought in which to examine
situations. As new situations are encountered, this framework provides a
structure for organization, analysis, and decision making.
6. Nursing theories provide a structure for communicating with other
nurses and with other members of the health care team.
7. Nursing theories assist the discipline of nursing in clarifying beliefs,
values, and goals, and they help to define the unique contribution of
nursing in the care of clients.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
4
The Meta-paradigm for Nursing
Because these four concepts can be superimposed on almost any work in
nursing, they are sometimes collectively referred to as a meta-paradigm for
nursing, or key concepts of all theories.
A meta-paradigm
Meta-paradigm is the unifying force in a discipline that names the
phenomena of concern to that discipline. The term originates from two
Greek words: meta, meaning "with" and paradigm, meaning "pattern".
A paradigm
Paradigm is another building block of theory; it refers to a pattern of shared
understandings and assumptions about reality and the word. Paradigms
include our notions of reality that are largely unconscious or taken for
granted.
Nursing theorists consider the following four concepts to be central to
nursing:
1. Person or Patient
The recipient of nursing care (includes individuals, families, groups and
communities).
2. Environment
Environment is the internal and external surroundings that affect the
patient. This includes people in the physical environment, such as
families, friends and significant others.
3. Health
Health is the degree of wellness or well-being that the patients
experiences.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
5
4. Nursing
The attributes, characteristics and actions of the nurse providing care on
behalf of, or in conjunction with, the patient.
The Characteristics of Theories
1. Interrelating concepts in such a way as to create a different way of
looking at a particular phenomenon.
2. Logical nature.
3. Generalizable.
4. Bases for hypotheses that can be tested.
5. Increasing the general body of knowledge within the discipline through
the research implemented to validate them.
6. Used by the practitioners to guide and improve their practice.
7. Consistent with other validated theories, laws, and principles but will
leave open unanswered questions that need to be investigated.
Purposes of theory
1. Support the development of knowledge through thesis and contestability
2. Explains and predicts outcomes
3. Supports decision making
4. Embeds goals and outcomes for the client and by implication for the
nurse
5. Supports modeling of processes of nursing
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
6
Needs of Theories
1.Based on strongly held values and beliefs about nursing, and within
contexts of various worldviews, theories are patterns that guide the
thinking about, being, and doing of nursing.
2.They provide structure for developing, evaluating, and using nursing
scholarship and for extending and refining nursing knowledge through
research.
3.Nursing theories either implicitly or explicitly direct all avenues of
nursing, including nursing education and administration.
4.Nursing theories provide concepts and designs that define the place of
nursing in health and illness care.
5.Through theories, nurses are offered perspectives for relating with
professionals from other disciplines that join with nurses to provide
human services.
6.Nursing has great expectations of its theories.
7.Theories provide structure and substance to ground the practice and
scholarship of nursing and also be flexible and dynamic to keep pace with
the growth and changes in the discipline and practice of nursing.
History Evolution of Nursing Theory
1. The work of early nursing theorists in the 1950 focused on the tasks of
nursing practice from a somewhat mechanistic viewpoint. Because of this
emphasis, much of the art of nursing the value of caring, the relationship
aspects of nursing, and the esthetics of practice was diminished.
2. During the decades of the 1960, 1970, and 1980, many nursing theorists
struggled with making nursing practice, theory, and research fit into the
then prevailing view of science. Reflecting changes in global awareness
of health care needs, several contemporary nursing theorists have
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
7
projected a new perspective for nursing that truly unifies the notion of
nursing as both an art and a science.
3. Each of these established theories provides a unique perspective, and each
is distinct and separate from other nursing theories in its particular view of
nursing phenomena.
Types of Nursing Theory
1. Grand Nursing Theory
Grand theories have the broadest scope and present general concepts
and propositions. Theories at this level may both reflect and provide
insights useful for practice but are not designed for empirical testing.
This limits the use of grand theories for directing, explaining, and
predicting nursing in particular situations. Theories at this level are
intended to be pertinent to all instances of nursing.
2. Middle-range Nursing Theory
Middle-range theory was proposed by Robert Merton (1968) in the field
of sociology to provide theories that are both broad enough to be useful
in complex situations and appropriate for empirical testing.
Middle-range theories are more narrow in scope than grand theories and
offer an effective bridge between grand theories and nursing practice.
3. Nursing Practice Theory
Nursing practice theory has the most limited scope and level of
abstraction and is developed for use within a specific range of nursing
situations. Theories developed at this level have a more direct impact on
nursing practice than do theories that are more abstract. Nursing practice
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
8
theories provide frameworks for nursing interventions, and predict
outcomes and the impact of nursing practice. At the same time, nursing
questions, actions, and procedures may be described or developed as
nursing practice theories.
Overview of Selected Nursing theories / Models
1. Nightingale's environmental theory
Florence Nightingale often considered the first theorist. She linked health
with five environmental factors:
1. Pure or fresh air.
2. Pure water.
3. Efficient drainage.
4. Cleanliness.
5. Light, especially direct sunlight.
2. Peplau's interpersonal relations model
(Interpersonal communication)
Hildegard peplau, introduced her interpersonal concepts in 1952 as one of
the first model of psychiatric nursing care. Nurses enter into a personal
relationship with an individual when a need is present. The nurse-patient
relationship evolves in four phases:
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
9
1. Orientation.
2. Identification.
3. Exploitation.
4. Resolution.
3. Henderson's definition of nursing
Virginia Henderson (1966) conceptualized the nurse's role as assisting
sick or healthy individuals to gain independence in meeting (14)
fundamental needs.
4. Rogers science of unitary human beings
According to Martha E. Rogers (1970), unity man:
1. Is an irreducible, four-dimensional energy field identified by pattern.
2. Manifests characteristics different from the sum of the parts.
3. Interacts continuously and creatively with the environment.
4. Behaves as a totality.
5. As a sentient being, participates creatively in change.
Nurses applying Rogers's theory in practice:
1. Focus on the person's wholeness.
2. Seek to promote symphonic interaction between the two energy fields
(human and environment) to strengthen the coherence and integrity of
the person.
3. Coordinate the human field with the rhythmicity of the environmental
field.
4. Direct and redirect patterns of interaction between the two energy fields
to promote maximum health potential.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
10
5. Orem's general theory of nursing (Self-Care)
Dorothea Orem’s theory, first published in (1971), includes:
1. The Self-Care
2. The Self-Care Deficit
3. The Nursing Systems
Orem identifies three types of nursing systems
1. Wholly compensatory system
2. Partly compensatory system
3. Supportive-educative system
6. Roper, Logan and Tierney's activities of living model
The Roper-Logan-Tierney (RLT) model has (12) activities of living
centrally at its core, each activity are linked closely with biological, social
or psychological needs required for health:
1. Maintaining a safe environment
2. Communicating
3. Breathing
4. Eating and drinking
5. Eliminating
6. Personal cleansing and dressing
7. Controlling body temperature
8. Mobilizing
9. Working and playing
10. Expressing sexuality
11. Sleeping
12. Dying
7. King's goal attainment theory
Imogene King's theory of goal attainment (1981) was derived from her
conceptual framework that demonstrates the relationship of:
a. Operational systems (individuals)
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
11
b. Interpersonal systems (group such as nurse-patient)
c. Social systems (such as educational system, healthcare system)
King selected (15) concepts from the nursing literature as essential
knowledge for use by nurses.
8. Neuman's systems model
Betty Neuman views the patient as an open system consisting of a basic
structure or central core of energy resources (physiological, psychological,
socio-cultural, developmental and spiritual) surrounded by two concentric
boundaries or rings referred to as lines of resistance.
Nursing interventions focus on retaining or maintaining system stability.
These interventions are carried out on three preventive levels:
1. Primary prevention focuses on protecting the normal line of defense and
strengthening the flexible line of defense.
2. Prevention focuses on strengthening internal lines of resistance, reducing
the reaction and increasing resistance factors
3. Tertiary prevention focuses on pre adaptation and stability and protects
reconstitution or return to wellness following treatment
9. Roy adaptation model
Sister Callista Roy (1997), defines adaptation as the process and outcome
whereby the thinking and feeling person uses conscious awareness and
choice to create human and environmental integration. Individuals respond
to needs (stimuli) in one of four modes:
1. The physiological mode.
2. The self-concept mode.
3. The role function mode.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
12
4. The interdependence mode.
10. Leininger's cultural care diversity and universality theory
Madeleine Leininger states that care is the essence of nursing and the
dominant, distinctive and unifying feature of nursing. In order for nurses to
assist people of diverse cultures, leininger presents three intervention
modes:
1. Culture care preservation and maintenance.
2. Culture care accommodation, negotiation, or both.
3. Culture care restructuring and re-patterning.
11. Watson's human caring theory
Jean Watson (1979), a guide refers to as the 'Core of Nursing'. Watson
outlines the following (10) factors:
1. Forming a humanistic-altruistic system of values
2. Instilling faith and hope
3. Cultivating sensitivity to one's self and others
4. Developing a helping-trust (human care) relationship
5. Promoting and accepting the expression of positive and negative feelings
6. Systematically using the scientific problem-solving method for decision
making
7. Promoting interpersonal teaching-learning
8. Providing a supportive, protective or corrective mental, physical, sociocultural and spiritual environment
9. Assisting with the gratification of human needs
10. Allowing for existential-phenomenological forces (aspects from
outside the individual or their area of control)
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
13
12. Parse's human becoming theory
Parse (1995), proposes three assumptions about human becoming:
1. Human becoming is freely choosing personal meaning in situations in
the inter-subjective process of relating value priorities
2. Human becoming is co-creating rhythmic patterns or relating in mutual
process with the universe
3. Human becoming is transcending multidimensionality (finding unique
ways of living in many aspects of life), with the emerging possible.
Relationship of theory to education, practice and research
1. In education
Because nursing theory is used primarily to establish the profession's
place in the university, it is not surprising that nursing theory has become
more firmly established in academia than in clinical practice. Many
nursing programs identified the major concepts into a conceptual
framework and then attempted to organize the entire curriculum around
that framework.
2. In research
Nurse scholars have repeatedly insisted that nursing research identifies the
philosophical assumptions or theoretical frameworks on which it is based.
That is because all thinking, writing, and speaking is based on previous
assumptions about people and the world.
1. Theory provides direction for nursing research
2. Relationships of components in a theory help to drive the research
questions for understanding nursing
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
14
3. In clinical practice
1. Where nursing theory has been utilized in a clinical setting, its main
contribution has been the facilitation of reflection, questioning and
thinking about what nurses do.
2. Family theorists and critical theorists have encouraged the profession to
move the focus from individuals to families and social structures.
3. Debates about the role of theory in nursing practice provide evidence
that nursing is maturing, both as an academic discipline and as a
clinical profession.
Relationship of theory to nursing process
Models and theories of nursing may be seen as part of the nursing process in
order to assess and manage the care of the patients. The nursing process was
proposed by Yura and Walsh (1967) with the publication of the nursing
process. They suggested that nursing should develop a problem-solving
approach in which the nurse and patient undertake four steps of care:
1. Identify together problems and causes requiring intervention.
2. Make plans that remedy the problems identified.
3. Take the steps necessary to alleviate the problems.
4. Reflect upon what has happened.
Foundati on of N ur si ng
Col l e ge of Nur si ng / M os ul Uni ve r si ty
15